Category: Lima Activities

Futbol, or soccer, is the national sport of Peru so you can’t miss a game while you’re in town. I recently went to a game and found out the inside scoop on some of the teams, stadiums and how to get tickets.

Peru has one of the world’s most ancient surf cultures, dating back thousands of years. However, its beaches have been little-known to the rest of the world — until recently. Over recent years, international surfers have been catching up on what is on offer here, with Punta Hermosa being one of the most celebrated areas.

Arguably, Lima has one of the best food scenes in the world. On the doorstep of Pariwana Hostel you have the bustling neighborhood of Miraflores with numerous restaurants to suit any budget. With so much to choose from, it’s difficult to know where to go first, so to make it easy for you I’ve shared my favorite Lima restaurants below.

Puruchuco is one of the Lima area’s many impressive archeological sites. It’s worth spending the time to organize a visit to this 800-year-old palace and famous burial site while staying at Pariwana Hostel Lima. You can either get there by bus or book a taxi.

If you are staying at Pariwana Hostel Lima, one of the most interesting places to visit in the area is Pachacamac. You can get here by catching a bus from central Lima, which is a cheaper option than taking a private tour.

Today I decided to spend the day visiting the parks of Mira Flores. Right in front of the Pariwana Hostel there is John F. Kennedy Park. With plenty of benches, to sit on, and people selling their goods, talents, and crafts. There is also a playground for children to have fun too.

I awoke this morning with a desire to go to the beach. From the Pariwana Hostel, I started to walk west toward the water and away from the sun. Along the way there are many stores one could shop at, literally something for everyone and every need. There are also many restaurants, with a wide variety of smells and flavors. So much good food around it’s hard to make a choice of just one to have for breakfast at, not to mention lunch or dinner.

After breakfast I asked my waitress for directions to the beach. She told me to go across the street, find the stairs and walk to the end. I found the stairs, easily enough. I went down the stairs the continued walking down the street. Then up some more stairs, now to cross a bridge, down some stairs, up some stairs and down again.

Finally, the beach. All in all about a 20 minute walk. I found the ocean with beautiful waves coming in. But, no sand, the beaches here are made of medium size, rounded, smooth rocks. Not something a person from California would expect from a beach.

Playas de Miraflores – Lima, Perú

Along the beach, on my left, there are many surf companies offering surf board rentals and surf lessons. Prices vary from company to company, and you can always try to talk them down for a better price. For a board rental the average price was around 25 soles.

The waves are good for the beginner to the intermediate surfer. I believe it also depends on the time of year you decide to go out. Myself, I am not a surfer so I decided to head to my right, for a less crowded part of the beach. I found people fishing on a pier, with only string, no fishing poles. I found it a bit odd, but all the fishermen seem to have a really good and successful technic.

I kept walking and found a quiet spot where I decided to do some rock staking and meditation. The waves coming in and the rocky beach made a sound I just can’t put into words. I stayed there all day and then watched the sunset; the only word I can come up with is beautiful.

My first week in Lima was a disaster. Lost the woman I loved, and she took all my money with her. One day I shall tell that story, but not today. Instead I will tell you a little bit about the Hostel I now call my home in Lima.

An hour until our bus departs to Cusco we grab our bags, leave Pariwana Hostel and hail a cab. The first cab says no. The next cab takes a close look at my Cruz Del Sur bus recipient, and we begin to haggle. I saw, “amigo 10 soles”. He laughs and says no, 15. I look back at a Frowning Hedi and say fuck it, ok. She looks disappointed in my weak attempt. However my mind is focused sharp on getting to the bus station on time.

20 minutes becomes 35 minutes and I become uneasy with our surroundings. The hostel receptionist mentioned the taxi fare should only be 10 soles and take 20 minutes max. It looks as if we have left the city and found ourselves in an industrial center vacant of any buses. We arrive at the address to find there is no bus, we drove to the Cruz Del Sur repair location. I am instructed to go inside a small windowless office and leave Hedi alone in a cab parked in the middle of the busy street. Fingers crossed she and my bags are there or in one piece when I return. I am handed a phone and an English speaking voice informs me we are in fact at the wrong location and that we better hurry if we are to make our bus that is leaving in 27 minutes.

My intuition has been confirmed and I run back to the cab. I give the cab driver our new destination, he looks at his watch and pumps his fist, it’s on. Hedi, myself and our over weight cabby against Fridays rush hour traffic. Furious feelings at myself for believing in the only address on the receipt fade to brainstorming plan b as I close my eyes and do my best yogi like meditation. 6 minutes until departure and we are at a complete stop on the highway. Hedi says, “Matt this is when the adventure begins.” I think to myself, oh fuck. I open my eyes and the cabby readjusts the rear view mirror to look at me as if he was going to share with me the meaning of life and then he points. The Cruz Del Sur sign lies a hundred feet away off the highway. A few beeps, aggressive wheelman-ship and radical gestures and he let’s us out.

Many cities in Peru have relatively concentrated ‘tourist areas,’ and one way to stay safe is to stick to these areas places, call taxis from your hotel and use other precautions that may limit your full experience of the city. If you have the urge to not confine yourself there are a lot of great way to explore, and most of the starting with asking. Figure out what safe areas there are to explore in each city before wandering out to find them, and find out how to get to them. A bilingual reception staff, like those at Pariwana Hostels in Lima and Cusco, can be helpful in making sure you know exactly where you’re going, and if you’re feeling adventurous there are always many people to ask concerning the layout of the city who may give you different, and even fuller answers.

Plaza de armas – Cusco

If using sources such as waiters, taxi drivers and friendly locals on the streets, try to confirm these locations with a local you trust, often someone back at your hostel. Next plan a route to avoid getting lost; getting lost in a foreign city is never safe, especially as you stray off the more worn tourist paths.

First write down the areas or streets you may want to visit, and then look at a map. Being able to review these areas will help you find them while you’re enjoying your day, and also help you identify where the areas end so you don’t accidently wander out of them and into somewhere higher risk, plus, studying your map while exploring an new city will help you learn its layout. Make sure to identify, or ask for, landmarks or boundary streets that will indicate to you that you’ve gone far enough, and then further ones that will tell you you’ve already gone too far. Make sure they are obvious things that you can see from a relatively long distance, large churches that peak over the top of the rest of the skyline often work well, major streets or bridges that will automatically make you pause when you reach them or similar natural ‘speed bumps’ in the city layout. Look for these landmarks as you wander and pay attention to where you came from, don’t hesitate to turn around and cover the same ground to get back to an area you know. Remember nothing is more like holding up a “Roba me” sign than unfolding a huge map in an area that you already shouldn’t be in, and trust your intuition. Wander far, and wander well!

Late season swells were in full effect when I got back to Lima after a detour to Cusco and Arequipa. Finally, I was back to my favorite place in Miraflores, Pariwana Hostels Lima, to meet a few friends from California for a surf adventure up the coast. Everyone was excited to surf some of the most famous points in the world- from Trujillo to Mancora. After what had been a slow start, the southern hemisphere was finally beginning to kick into gear.

On my third day in Lima, I decided I needed to venture out of Miraflores. The super-helpful staff at Pariwana told me it would be about 10 soles to get to Pueblo Libre, home to two of Lima’s best museums. However, feeling adventurous, I took a combi, which went through San Isidro and Jesús Maria and dropped me off just a few blocks from Plaza Bolivar.

Museum´s front view

My first stop was the Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Antropología e Historia, and I spent so much time here that I wasn’t able to go to the Museo Larco a few blocks away. This museum really does cover the archeology, anthropology, and history of Peru. I thought I had seen all the exhibits once I had learned about pre-Colobian civilazations from hall regions of Peru: Moche, Chavín de Huántar, Nazca, Pucará, Wari, and of course, Twantinsuyu, or the Inca empire.

Wrong. There’s just as much space in the museum devoted to the Spaniard’s arrival in Peru, the viceroyalty, and post-independence Peru. I had to rush through the last sections because the museum was about to close, and I didn’t see the temporary exhibitions at all.

I think Pueblo Libre is an undiscovered jewel, tourist-wise. I’ll have to make it back someday to try the anticuchos served hot off the grill in front of the church, maybe eat at Antigua Taberna Queirolo, and also discover the treasures I missed at the Museo Larco.

I arrived in Peru, a country many travelers visit in order to embark on multi-day treks without any contact with civilization, lugging a laptop and a fair amount of work to get done. Lucky for me, staying connected in Miraflores is particularly easy. There’s wifi at Pariwana, so I can type away while watching the comings and goings in the Óvalo. If I feel like moving outside, there’s wifi in Parque Kennedy.

But given the current wintry weather, there’s nothing better than working in a café, kept company by a steamy cappuccino. One of my first stops was Dédalo by Parque Kennedy. They sell fair trade handicrafts upstairs, and a gorgeous selection of ceramic mugs is on display behind the counter.

Dédalo´s first floor view

A little farther from Pariwana’s central location is Librería El Virrey, one of the most charming bookstores I’ve visited in any part of the world. Coffee, tea, and sandwiches are served in a small sitting area in the front of the building. Once I was well-caffeinated, I spent the afternoon leafing through the exquisite photos in their architectural design books.

The Virrey bookstore

Finally, Café San Antonio has two locations in Miraflores (one by the Vía Expresa and the other near the border with San Isidro). It feels like a place to see and be seen—the ladies who lunch of Miraflores gather here. There’s an extensive food menu, and they also have flakey pastries, fine chocolates, and imported cheeses on display to tempt visitors.

Camana is a popular tourist destination, but not for most international backpackers. During the summer months of December through March Peruvians flock to this bustling south coast town, flooding downtown hotels and hostels, filling the beachfront accommodations and saturating the beachfront. During the fall and winter months however, while the city center stays crowded with locals, the beach becomes practically deserted, and the temperate- not overwhelmingly hot months directly after tourist season ends, may actually be the best time visit.

Puerto Maldonado is the gateway to jungle gems like Tambopata National Reserve and Lago Sandoval, but most people pass through in a hurry, never getting the hang of the town and hating every minute of it. If you take a second to think about where you are, this humid, lawless jungle frontier town is a very cool place to explore.

Many cities in Peru may lack a centralized public transit system with underground trains and covered bus stops, but to say that any city of size doesn’t have a public transit system at all would be a mistake. In fact, most larger Peruvian cities are crowded with buses running on well-established routes and charging uniform fares for a ride, just like any major US or European city. In smaller cities the system is more or less the same, but the ‘buses’ may actually take the form of vans with sliding doors or even cars that, from down the street, can look like taxis. These cheap and extensive public transportation systems are a great way to get around the city, and a great way to learn its layout.

Welcome to Lima, which just so happens to be the birthplace of Pariwana hostels. That’ll be your first order of business upon arriving in the Peruvian mega-capital of Lima. The city hosts more than 8 million people, and that number is ever-growing. It might be a shock to arrive here, because it dwarfs every other city in the country. The streets are loud and effusive bus passenger wranglers are always yelling at you to “sube sube sube!”

The price of food in Lima is much greater than elsewhere in the country because the city’s cost of living is much higher. Although the quaint markets of the Sierra villages offer the atmospheric prestige, Lima offers the same stuff. You can find most everything in the capital. This makes Lima an important base of operations for any backpacker who’s looking to undertake the treks and Peruvian adventures waiting out there. Otherwise, Lima is the perfect place to end a trip before the flight home for its selection of souvenirs.

Maybe you’ve already heard that Peru is South America’s gastronomic marvel. Indeed, Peru boasts some of the most diverse food in the whole world. This means that a Peruvian backpacking trip entails a culinary experience that will leave you hungry for more. You could travel to all reaches of Peru, which is a recommendable plan. However, if you’re strapped for time, then plan your trip to coincide with Lima’s Mistura food fest.

Mistura has been going on now for 3 years. Every year it’s attracting bigger and bigger names from around the globe. Mistura is a massive food festival where all the best food joints in Lima and from around the country gather to offer portions of their grub for a fraction of the normal price. It takes place in September just before springtime. The gray skies mean the sun won’t be blasting your neck all day while you walk to and from different food kiosks.

There is an entry fee to get in, but Pariwana has its own stash of tickets to make things easier for backpackers. Not all hostels in Lima can offer the same convenience. Pariwana already offers tours on a semi-daily basis, but this is one tour you’ll enjoy beyond expression.

You’ll arrive to the gates of the Parque de la Exposicion, the giant blown up yellow fork making you feel small. After walking under the fork entrance, you’ll purchase the tickets with which you procure your food. You can get full portions of dishes for 12 soles, but you should opt for portions at 6 sols so that you can try more food. Go with a friend to split the portions in half, that way you can try even more tasty treats!

There are a lot of things to see and do in Mistura. Over the 9 days that it’s held, over 300,000 people enter. There is a giant bazar to buy kitchenware, and an enormous market with products from all over the country. There are live cooking demonstrations by some of the country’s best chefs, and the restaurants everywhere you look.

You might prefer to arrive at the opening hour of 10am so that you can make the best of the 12 hours you have before closing time. There are too many dishes to try. You can read about all the restaurants on Mistura’s website. Just make sure to try a few of the staples. Ceviche, above all, will please you, as Mistura hosts some of the best cebiche restaurants.

In fact, you might very well choose to spend all your time in Mistura, returning day after day. It’s the perfect way to centralize a necessary Peruvian experience. Sweets, jungle food, rustic kitchens, juices, anticuchos and any other food you’ve seen on your Peruvian tour you should expect to see again here.

It all begins with the arrival at the first floor door of Pariwana. Just buzz the button and walk up the spiraling granite staircase to Pariwana reception. Already you’ve back into that atmosphere that you love; surrounded by travelersfrom all over the world in a place that acts like an incubator of social interaction.

Miraflores is the backpacker hub of the city. There are very few hostels in other parts of the city. All the things you’ll need are right there. You’ll find ATMs galore, a cinema, the expansive Parque Kennedy that always has something going on (recently it was a dinosaur exhibition), bars and clubs, banks and money exchanges.

Pariwana enjoys a location perched above the central Miraflores ovalo, a big roundabout where two major avenues intersect. Just out the front door, the buses yelling “todo Arequipa” lead you all the way downtown. Otherwise, Lima’s Metropolitano integrated bus system has a station not a 2 minute walk from the front gate of Pariwana.

Miraflores is popular for a number of reasons. First, it is the richer part of town, the part of town everyone wants to be in, the part of town where everything is happening. Everyone wants a part of Miraflores, especially on the weekends. The district boasts some of the most renowned bars and clubs. The club Tayta has free entry and lies just two blocks to the left out of Pariwana’s door. Following Larco to its end brings travellers to LarcoMar, the big ocean side mall complex that also houses some happening nightlife spots.

Miraflores is within walking distance to Barranco. Walk to the ocean and from there head south along the entire ocean front. Eventually you’ll come to the bohemian and colonial district of Barranco.

Miraflores also is home to one of the biggest Incan ruins in town, the Huaca Pucllana. This sprawling Incan complex brings the ancient Peruvian experience very close to Pariwana’s already splendid locale.

Overall, staying at the Pariwana in Lima is the best choice bottoms down thanks to its prime location in the active city of Miraflores, Lima.